Your Prayer Letter Can Be an Effective Communications Tool

by Wayne Kiser

Believe it or not, surveys of mission organizations and their publications show that the most vital link between a mission and Christians in the sending church is the individual missionary’s prayer letter.

Believe it or not, surveys of mission organizations and their publications show that the most vital link between a mission and Christians in the sending church is the individual missionary’s prayer letter. More prayer and financial support is generated by these letters than any other single source.

Yet, in spite of this, most missions spend large sums of money for informational publications such as newsletters and magazines, while giving little consideration to helping the missionary sharpen his communication skills. One mission, now on the verge of financial collapse, went so far as to threaten to withhold support checks of missionaries who did not produce prayer letters, but had no program to teach letter preparation.

The problem is compounded because many missionaries, especially those serving under denominational boards, have difficulty understanding that writing is part of their calling and service. "The prayer letter," one missionary told me, "is the hardest thing I have to do." Another said, "I put it off as long as I can and then hurry through it as fast as possible to get it out of the way."

After teaching several workshops to furloughing missionaries, in which we discussed the prayer letter and other deputation-related subjects, I’ve found the greatest single aid in helping the missionary communicate effectively to supporters is the development of a communication plan or strategy.

THE SEGMENTED MAILING LIST
The first step to wise planning is knowledge of the constituency. As the chart below shows, everyone is not on the same level of mission interest.

10. Would consider being missionary himself
9. Would consider urging own children to go to missionary’s field
8. Will occasionally promote missionary’s work in church and among friends
7. Committed to give to missionary regularly
6. Committed to give to missionary occasionally
5. Committed to pray for missionary
4. Positive disposition to missionary and his work
3. Minimal knowledge -knows about missionary’s family and what’s happening
2. A basic knowledge only – heard missionary speak or read one of his letters
1. No knowledge of missionary’s work

Missionaries make a major mistake when they assume all the people to whom they are writing are in the five through ten categories. In truth, most of the people who get missionary communiques are in the first three positions. Missionaries seeking to communicate effectively separate their lists accordingly.

The reason for a segmented list is, as any direct mail fund-raiser will admit, that groups of people are best appealed to on the most common denominator. The more homogeneous a group is, the more sharply tuned and effective the message can be.

The concept of list segmentation would help one mission to keep from sending appeal letters which thank me for my former contributions. I have never in my life given money to them, although I’ve shown a special interest in another way, and am offended that they don’t know me any better than their mailings indicate. I’d be much more appreciative of an honest approach which respects me and the interest I have shown. Most people on mission lists feel the same.

Segmented lists should be made as close to receiving a new name as possible. If the missionary speaks at a church and comes away with cards filled out by people who wish to receive Ms material, he should be able to go through and mark a number beside each name according to the chart above. If these are people who heard him at the church, he’d mark a number 2; if he had lunch with a family who showed a keen interest in his work, number 3. If he’s just bumped into Ms long-lost roommate from Bible school and had warm fellowship, he might enter a 4 through 6.

If the list is already established, it can still be segmented. When the missionary can’t remember receiving a letter from or talking to a person, obviously he’d better give it a 2. By the same token, some research should differentiate between those who contribute regularly and occasionally and those who have shown enough interest to correspond with the missionary.

Once the list is segmented, it can be filed as simply as on 3×5 cards according to categories, or can be computerized so different groups can be called up at the push of a button. And of course, it must be kept up to date by re categorizing names as interest changes.

A STRATEGY OF COMMUNICATION
All people, no matter what their interest, need information to move them on the continuum from no knowledge to high commitment, and once the list is segmented the missionary can then plan accordingly. Although finer divisions should sometimes be made, the following breakdown is a good way to start.

Personal Letters (send to numbers 7 through 10 below)
Prayer and Praise Letters (send to numbers 4 through 10 below)
Information Letters (send to numbers 1 through 4 below)

10. Would consider being missionary himself
9. Would consider urging own children to go to missionary’s field
8. Will occasionally promote missionary’s work in church and among friends
7. Committed to give to missionary regularly
6. Committed to give to missionary occasionally
5. Committed to pray for missionary
4. Positive disposition to missionary and his work
3. Minimal knowledge -knows about missionary’s family and what’s happening
2. A basic knowledge only – heard missionary speak or read one of his letters
1. No knowledge of missionary’s work

Informational letters, which everyone on the missionary’s list should receive, should be written much like newspaper stories. Happenings that have human interest appeal or that are newsworthy because they are major events, prime issues, involve important people, or display an element of conflict make good reports.

Here’s how one missionary started out Ms information letter: " ‘Nine – echo – echo – five – four calling Fox Six. Can you give me an emergency flight from Addis Ababa back to Gendebert this afternoon? A patient with serious gunshot wounds need Dr. Sandberg!"

One need not write letters that resemble reprints from True Detective, but introductions like the one above will hook the readers and command their attention.

Informational letters need to be kept to a single theme, but if the writer feels he must communicate prayer requests, he can do so in a paragraph or two at the close, perhaps setting off each request with a dot or number.

But informational letters are not enough for anyone in the number 4 categories and above. Letters requesting prayer and outlining the financial picture need to be sent to those who are committed to giving and praying. These prayer and praise letters may follow the same form as an information letter, but should deal with more personal issues pertinent to the missionary’s work and ministry. A single issue should be selected, letting the many requests group themselves at the end. Giving a person the needed facts to pray intelligently for at least one facet of the work is better than giving a little of many items, forcing him to only pray, "Bless this missionary’s work and ministry."

Financial needs are clearly stated with or without pressure to give. They are not "letters to mother," but they can include warm and personal statements about the children, converts, and those for whom the missionary is praying.

The theme of the letter will often dictate whether it will be a prayer or information letter. Adventure and significant conversion stories lend themselves to the informational structure, while hospital experiences and the state of the church addresses are more suitable for prayer and praise. Where one is entertaining, informing and motivating, the other calls for response and sharing of joy and sorrow.

The third kind of letter is reserved for those in the 7-10 categories-the personal letter. In my opinion, nothing will ever replace this communique unless a new medium is found that can replace the warmth and personal contact of one-to-one letters. While the information and prayer and praise letters are printed or mimeographed, personal letters are hand written or typed.

To encourage personal letters from supporters, the prayer and praise letters may ask for a response from the readers. Their replies probably indicate a progression on the category scale. At any rate, when a personal letter is received, it should be answered personally, regardless of the scale rating and as quickly as possible.

WHEN TO MAIL WHAT LETTER
Depending on when the mission mails its newsletter or magazine, the wise missionary will plan his strategy so committed individuals will receive material each month and less-interested people will hear something twice a quarter.

This may sound as though missionaries should drop what they’re doing on the field and take up writing as their main endeavor -such is not the case.

The following schedule is a sample guide for adequate communication:

Send to numbers 1 through 3 above:

Jan. – mission publication
Feb. – Information letter to total list
April – mission publication
July – mission publication
August – Information letter to total list
October – Missio publication
December – Prayer and praise letter

Send to numbers 4 through 6 above:
Jan. – Mission publication
Feb. – Information letter to total list
March – Prayer and praise letter
April – Mission publication
June – Prayer and praise letter
July – Mission publication
Aug. – Information letter to total list
Sept. – Prayer and praise letter
Oct. – Mission publication
Dec. Prayer and Praise letter

Send to numbers 7-10 above:
Jan. – Mission publication
Feb. – Information letter to total list
March – Prayer and praise letter
April – Mission publication
May – Personal letters
June – Prayer and praise letter
July – Mission publication
Aug. – Information letter to total list
Sept. – Prayer and praise letter
Oct. – Mission publication
Nov. – Personal letters
Dec. – Prayer and praise letter

Not only should the missionary have this schedule, but an auxiliary schedule of dates to have material prepared in time to meet the completion date. Very simply, this means that if it takes two weeks for his March prayer and praise letter to be duplicated and mailed, he should have it prepared no later than March 1.

Pressure will be less just knowing that planning has already been done and knowing the type of material to be looking for for the next letters. In either case, missionaries may be plesantly surprised at the reception by their constituency.

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Copyright © 1977 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

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